Asahi Europe & International (AEI), the European and international operations arm of Asahi Group Holdings, has welcomed Nigel Parsons as its new Chief Executive Officer. Parsons formally began his Prague-based role on September 1, following his appointment in May and a two-month interim leadership period.
Parsons succeeds Dragoș Constantinescu, who left AEI at the end of June 2026. During July and August, Chief Financial Officer Andrew Bailey served as Acting CEO to bridge the period until Parsons took over.
The new CEO brings extensive experience across the beverage and consumer goods industries. He joined Asahi Beverages in 2021 as CEO of its former Lifestyle Beverages division before becoming the company's first Chief Commercial Officer for Australia and New Zealand in April 2025. In that role, he was responsible for commercial and sales activities across both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Before joining Asahi, Parsons spent 12 years at Mondelēz International, including as Business Unit President for Sub-Saharan Africa and Managing Director for Australia.
The change places an executive with broad multi-category experience at the head of one of Asahi's most internationally focused businesses. Atsushi Katsuki, President and Group CEO of Asahi Group Holdings, said when the appointment was announced that Parsons' record in sustainable growth and organisational transformation should help AEI advance its strategic priorities and strengthen value creation across its portfolio.
AEI has been expanding its operations beyond its established European brewing base. In January 2024, the company acquired US contract producer Octopi Brewing in Wisconsin, giving Asahi its first production facility in the United States and enabling local brewing of Asahi Super Dry for the North American market (inside.beer, 05.01.2024). The acquisition was designed to support further growth in the US and Canada while reducing reliance on imported beer.
Parsons now oversees a business whose remit includes Asahi's European production markets as well as international export markets outside Japan and Oceania. AEI's global beer portfolio includes Peroni Nastro Azzurro, Kozel, Pilsner Urquell and Grolsch alongside Asahi Super Dry. Its UK operations include the Fuller's Griffin Brewery in London and the Cornish Orchards cidery in Cornwall.
